Regina Po

Week 48: I survived my 1st winter. Just Barely.

Published on April 19, 2015April 19, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

April 12th – 19th

Holy shit. I had no idea what people meant by weather affecting your mood/state of mind. I was uber freaked out about being cold so I prepared [and prepared some more] for all the physical beatings the weather would bring this winter, but boy did I have it coming! I was so concerned my feet might get wet, that I completely ignored the weather’s ability to make me question things. Like why in the fucking world I chose to do this to myself. Needless to say, all my sweaters and boots could not prepare me for what was to come.

Before I release a dreary tale, I’d like to say that I am now enjoying an afternoon in a coffee shop with the door wide open. I’m wearing a t-shirt. Life is good once more.

Things I learned from the winter:

1. Leave the city (some place with sunshine, and lots of it) in March.

I was doing pretty well in regards to mental capacity all through January and February, but then came March. A time that I normally associate with sunshine, brought one disappointment after another. When the first 40s appeared, I thought I MADE IT! I skipped on the streets, pre-maturely put away wool sweaters, and opened my mind to new (and warm) beginnings. Too bad for me, winter was not even close to being over. Mid-March proved to be my breaking point. A beautiful person had passed away well before her time and the sky literally lost the sunlight. I thought I was doing ok, but by late March I found myself whirling into something I hope to avoid next year. I don’t think it’s entirely due to the weather, but I’m 100% certain that it played a huge role. I found myself dreaming (and daydreaming) of sunlight… I even missed the Florida weather.

I don’t know if I’ll be quite as down next year, but to be certain I’m already planning on leaving for the sunshine in early March.

2. Buy a sun-lamp.

WTF is a sun lamp? I’m not even sure I’m referring to it correctly, but essentially it’s a lamp that produces similar effects as sunlight. I’m getting one for next year’s doom season for my room.

3. Be Prepared. Mentally.

I had no idea what seasons felt like before now. My understanding of how the change would [and could] affect me was non-existent. Now that I’ve been up the mountain and back, I can at the very least understand what’s happening and prepare myself mentally. Meditation and many trips to the sauna will be good practice to keep myself balanced.

There are plenty of folks who will have zero clue what I’m talking about. Even friends here were unaffected by the dreary days and complete lack of sun. I guess it’s a personal thing. I learned something new about myself… that’s a plus.

Spring.

Spring. For the past several months the city has felt like a dark and dreary place that was almost always silent. As if permanently on mute. This week someone finally turned up the tunes. I hear laughter coming from outside my window instead of shouting and honking (although that might just be select hearing on my part). Folks are flocking to the streets. Tourists are snapping their photos and staring blankly on google maps – right-in-the-middle-of-the-street. Groups of people are celebrating the blooming flowers with wine and cheese, wine and veggie sticks, wine and fill in the blank on stoops all over my neighborhood. It’s like they’re celebrating the victory of a long and dreadful war. All is well again.

4.11.15- My first celebrity sighting.

I got my hair done today. Zosia Mamet was sitting right next to me the entire time getting her hair did too. I didn’t realize who she was for like the first 20 minutes as I kept staring at her and thinking “Where do know this girl from? Do we have mutual friends or something?” I’m not sure if she noticed, although I don’t think I was hiding it very well. Anyway, it eventually came to me. I was skeptical of my ability to properly identify celebrities so I went to Google for help. Zosia has distinct hand tattoos. That was my confirmation. I didn’t want to intrude on her ‘me’ time, but she seemed nice to her stylist and was reading Agatha Christi part of the time. She also wore a bunch of rings.

I haven’t posted in a while, so here are some photos from the past couple of weeks:

Karaoke in an East Village bar for my birthday. My roommates killed it.

I am so grateful for this lady.

I started lifting weights in order to keep myself sane. In 2 weeks I start Muay Thai. I may be a little obsessed… but I figure this is a good type of addiction.

I went to the met. I was tired and slightly hungover before going inside…I left still tired and hungover, but uber satisfied.

There was that pillow fight in Washington Square Park. I was hoping that it would take over the entire park, but due to what I can only imagine to be safety laws, that was impossible. The whole fight was contained to the center of the park which made for little space to really make a good swing. Nevertheless, it was glorious.

Prospect Park on a lovely 66F day. The place was packed with picnic goers and volleyball players… I practiced yoga. Without having to wear a sweater!

Post yoga walk through the trails.

I am so glad that the winter is finally over, but it was quite the learning experience. Now that it’s over I can definitely appreciate the hardships (first world hardships) that came with snow, sludge, and complete lack of sunlight.

Happy Spring everyone!

Week 44: Hats Off to Turning 25 & Hearing Voices.

Published on March 22, 2015March 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Birthday’s are the time of the year that I like to really take a step back and appreciate all that surrounds me in my life. Sure, I try to be grateful everyday, but the anniversary of my coming to existence is an extraordinarily important time to take a second and dissect. I’m not even remotely close to where I thought I’d be at 25, but for a while now I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no way even my imagination is wild enough to concoct what the combination life + my determination is actually capable of producing. I was trying to figure out what I’m really glad I ‘have’ (other than the obvious family, friends etc.) and concluded it’s all in my head.

I’m the biggest pessimist I’ve ever met. That little voice in my head that is constantly telling me something isn’t realistic or I’m not capable of achieving this or that is my biggest driver. I love putting that voice down. I could give a shit what the rest of the world thinks of my endeavors, I am always fighting to shut myself up first and foremost.

(Please, before you go saying ‘That poor girl!” Don’t.)

I kind of sound a little crazy. Literally. Yes, I hear voices in my head… if you’re thinking you can’t relate, I’d suggest you dig deep. If you’re not a pessimist like me, perhaps it’ll just be a friendly voice to keep you company when everyone else sucks. You might look [and sound] a little nuts walking along the street talking to yourself, but it’s only the boring folks who’ll think anything of it anyway.

I used to take my driving time to reflect and chat with my other half. When I moved to this world of public transit, I used to get slightly red faced as people looked at me funny, but it didn’t take long for me to stop caring. Maybe I’ll be the focus of their conversations when they get back home to Kansas… “Honey, it was so interesting… we saw this strange lady on the train with giant hair (she must not own a hair brush) who kept mouthing words to herself. She must partake in that Obama Cult pastor Harry keeps telling us about. They’re turning all our people kookoo; damn bastards!”

{I never know where my reflections will take me.}

Other than reflecting, my parents came to town to visit! Much fun was had. On my birthday, we went hat shopping… my favorite kind. Naturally a photo shoot followed:

Being a tourist and getting to see the city with fresh sets of eyes for 6 days was really fun and exhausting. Next week won’t be nearly as exciting.

Cheers.

Week 43: Russian Pop Songs from Hell, Escargot, & Abigail.

Published on March 15, 2015March 20, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Just another Monday ride to work:

A Russian pop song starts to play at the opposite end of the train car. The old Russian man rolls a shitty speaker sitting in a mini-bed on wheels. At first, it’s just loud instruments, but wait… there’s more. The old Russian man starts to sing into a muffled microphone with little idea of the key. Every now and then on the belty parts, you can hear the song’s original singer lightly edited out. He walks back and forth with the music and mic blasting through the entire train car, which as if on purpose continues to stall in between stations. Sweet victory comes after the ending of the 2nd song… he quits his musical endeavor and peace has returned.

Just another Friday night:

The echo of the saxophone vibrates through the station as I sit reminiscing on my life. The dude sitting next to me licks his fingers as he eats from his whole foods paper bag. There’s chatter everywhere… it’s only 10pm on a Friday. I’m cold… I feel a chill to the bone. A stylish duo pass by wearing floor length leather jackets and matching Jimmy Chu booties. The sax is still roaring. I can feel it’s soul passing through the vibrations of my purse. I’ve had too much pork. And gin. Thank goodness the F is finally here.

Let’s take a step back right quick… to Thursday. My roomies and I went out for drinks and dinner in the west village to celebrate my upcoming birthday. Mary Alice chose the spot. Amelie wine bar. The place was packed solid. The host must have recognized MA and sat us at the bar without a reservation. BOOM. Every single staff member from the bar tender to the host and runners had French accents… the wine had to be good, right? We got a bottle of champagne instead. Cheese, duck pate, and beef tartare, and escargot was had… it was a first of many new foods for me. All incredibly delicious.

That’s a Martini Francais behind the gooey Maringe (sp?). To avoid sounding too douche… I’d like to add I have zero clue what’s in it, but it was YUMMY.

So grateful to have these lovely ladies as my roommates.

I ended my beautiful week with a brief photo shoot with one of my incredibly talented friends Abigail. She sculpts for a living and a passion and although we only had 30 minutes together on Sunday I left so incredibly inspired. I’m going to make a full post with all the photos, but for now here are just a few.

abigailtulis.com

Etsy

Published on March 11, 2015March 9, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

This week I’ve decided I’m going to go with a theme for my Etsy picks… Can you guess this week’s?

Because who doesn’t love a good pug? From Feral Youth NYC.

Giraffe. On a Bicycle? Yes. Please. From Fuzzy Ink.

I would like this painted this on a giant canvas and hang it in my living room. This Deer Print from Loopy Lolly.

Because who doesn’t want a Cat Buddha? From West Wind Home Garden.

If I were to ever wear a brooch, this Cat Brooch would be it. From Dina Biju Shop.

I want this monkey laptop cover like yesterday. From Mimo Cadeaux

Something tells me, this bow tie will be making an appearance in my upcoming spring attire! From Bartek Design.

Because it’s a lion on a bicycle on a pillow. From ColorfulZ.

Whats your favorite?

Week 42: Yoga & the Dude With the Beard.

Published on March 8, 2015March 8, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Yes, I didn’t post anything last week. I was recuperating and now I feel like I have energy again. So much so that I did yoga for the first time since moving here. The best part? I got to do it in my beautiful living room.

My yoga sesh was facing outside. It was perfect.

I was astounded at my inability to do many of the poses to the extent I used to be able to do them. My form sucks and my posture is really bad not to mention all my frozen joints…. I’m excited to make yoga part of my weekly routine to fix this ish!

I’ve finally gotten myself into a good active routine at the gym. I love working out… it’s just easy for me to forget how much I love it when I don’t do it for a while. Glad that’s over. Zumba, Spin, Weights, and several high intensity workouts fill my week and now I’m thinking yoga will fit in nicely.

With that said, March is my birthday month and I’m going gift myself with some new workout attire AND shoes (have I mentioned my undying love of shoes?). My running shoes have seen their day and are beginning to do more harm than good. I just ordered a couple new digs from DSW & registered with Fabletics… I’m so excited!

Last week wasn’t all that eventful anyway just a run-in with the Chinese Mafia (mob?), tacos in soho, and fancy cosmos at the Bowery Hotel. Nothing exciting.

This week unfortunately was even less exciting. I signed up for Hulu… until the weather is nice enough for me to go out, I’m just going to be a hermit and catch up on all my favorite tv.

I did get to go see the Legend of Mulan by the Hong Kong Dance Company at the Lincoln Center which was pretty magical. And today (Sunday) I took another visit to Brighton Beach. This time, Chelsea & Sveta joined! It was a marvelous day to celebrate International Women’s day. In Russia this holiday is a HUGE deal so every lady was carrying a lovely bouquet of flowers and every store we visited we were wished a happy 8th of March. ❤

SO much Russian candy to be had!

Little Russia in it’s finest (two fellas playing chess at the local Starbucks). The guy with the beads in his beard wanted us to know he’s a decedent from a line of Ukrainians.

Lunch on the boardwalk. Check.

Candy shopping overhaul. Check.

Today’s weather was 47F degrees. I haven’t been so happy in a long time. I cannot wait for warmer days so I can go outside more often.

Have a great week!

Food Journal: Grilled Cheese.

Published on March 7, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Ok so maybe this week wasn’t the healthiest of weeks (I ended it with an all-you-can-eat sushi dinner which just about killed me). But I decided to indulge in the beloved grilling of bread with cheese… only 2x this week but what the hell.

The classic turkey grilled cheese… with Havarti dill cheese and a side of roasted spicy cauliflower & sweet potatoes.

One of my classic Veggie Medleys with Buckwheat & red Quinoa on the side.

* Mashed cauliflower: with lots of browned onions, garlic powder, fresh scallions, fresh dill, and dried dill weed.

* Greens medley: turnips and collard greens seasoned with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, browned onions, and raw walnuts.

Open faced grilled cheese. Sourdough bread, Havarti dill cheese, and the greens medley from the meal above. I used a toaster oven to get this crispy and melty grilled cheese and skipped the butter.

Ate with a side of a garlic pickle & edamame (seasoned with coarse sea salt & dried red chili peppers)

I ended my week with a shrimp & black bean medley.

Shrimp seared in soy sauce and seasoned in garlic powder and dill weed.

Mixed with

Turnip & collard greens, browned onions, fresh dill, scallions, black beans, and quinoa. Topped with shredded Mozz.

Food Journal: Sweet Potatoes, Zuchinni, & Cauliflower.

Published on February 28, 2015February 28, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

I barely cooked at all this week… I ate a bunch of simple meals that I didn’t bother taking photos of (beans and quinoa) as well as left overs. I made 2 dishes that were not like the rest. Here they are…

Basil and cayenne pepper baked sweet potato with a side of mashed cauliflower.

I love the spicy tang with the sweetness of the potato.

The mashed cauliflower is dressed with browned onions (in soy sauce), lightly browned garlic, lots of garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

Zucchini Salad with a side of quinoa + beans on a bed of fresh greens (Spinach, baby kale, and romaine lettuce).

Zucchini salad: thinly sliced (using peeler) zucchini, red onions, pecans, finely chopped whiskey sour pickles, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, coarse sea salt, and dill weed.

As always, these take 30 min. or less.

I don’t like recipes, as I’ve mentioned, but I’m always on the lookout for ideas on something new to make. Care to share what yummy dish you made this week?

Week 40: Stand Up, Haze, & Cuffed.

Published on February 21, 2015February 22, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

You know that feeling when you wake up really early in the morning and you have a really hard time opening your eyes or doing much of anything? That feeling normally lasts up until your 2nd cup of coffee. My entire week had this general aura, despite many cups of coffee. The crazy part? It took forever to actually fall asleep at night.

I’ve never been this emotionally drained. I’ve been planning to do stand up comedy today (Monday) and yesterday my heart broke. I needed something to distract me and facing my fear of stand up was it. I tried my best to rise above the lack in energy and it turned out alright. I invited friends and co-workers to laugh no matter how badly awkward it got. They did. It felt pretty good. I think I’m going to need a little time before I have any real energy to devote to getting better, but I’d like to start doing this 2-3x a week (stand up open mics).

I was really scared, I planned on rehearsing [something] the day before, but didn’t end up getting a chance to do so…. I didn’t really prepare anything in result and I’m not funny naturally like some folks. I’m not going to lie though… getting in front of people and attempting to entertain them is my happy place. I didn’t know what I was doing. I stumbled on words and phrases… but at the end of my glorious 5 minutes I felt a high I haven’t felt in years. Boy, I needed it more than ever.

The rest of my week was mostly me trying to see through the haze. You know when you try to clear a fogged up mirror after a hot shower it doesn’t really get clear at until the moisture leaves the room… That’s my shitty attempt to describe my week. I just kept trying to clear the view, but it wouldn’t get any clearer.

I found myself cursing at the subway machines and getting real annoyed with assholes on the subway who clearly live here and still have no respect for everyone else. It was also really cold. It’s not even funny anymore (it was funny like the first time I realized my face could hurt). I woke up on Friday with a ‘Feels Like’ temp of -17 F.

#ineedwarmth

Sunday actually warmed up. A bunch… I never thought walking in 35F degree weather would mean warmth. I haven’t celebrated Brunch in quite some time (or so it feels) so today I decided to enjoy the beloved weekly tradition with the lovely Chelsea.

This is what snow looks like when the temperatures get well above freezing. #upper30s #WOOHOO

On another note, I mentioned in January that my new year’s resolution was to donate a portion of my brunch monthly budget to a cause/charity/organization/whatever once a month. This month I’m donating to a friend’s project called Cuffed?. According to their kickstarted page Cuffed? is: “A feature length documentary film exploring important questions about addiction, recovery, and life.

❤ Mia

If you’d like to contribute (I’m sure every dollar counts), their page: Cuffed? Kickstarter Page.

Food Journal: Keeping it Bulky.

Published on February 21, 2015February 21, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

This week was pretty shitty. I made a couple of batches of dishes so that I wouldn’t have to cook much… I made 3 dishes and ate out/ordered in one too many times. When I did manage to summon the energy to make something, it was pretty damn delicious.

A light cherry tomato and herb goat cheese angel hair pasta dish with sautéd yellow squash, black beans, and tempeh (seared in the sauce) and garnished with a crap load of raw green onion.

3 dishes: (1) A light edamame, cherry tomato, and red onion salad dressed with rice vinegar, olive oil, coarse sea salt, and green onions. (2) Squash veg. medley (soy sauce blackened onions, yellow squash, & tempeh) (3) Truffle & dill weed roasted cauliflower and baby carrots.

Baked apples and pears topped with Vanilla gelato & raw pecans.

I’m not even sure what was below the pile of freshly chopped green onion and melted mozz. (leftovers from some veggie and cashew medley I made the week before) accompanied by a piece of a Wang (Wangs in Brooklyn = BEST chicken wings).

Week 39: goodbye love.

Published on February 17, 2015February 21, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

i don’t believe in angels. or god. but I believe that some people leave a piece of themselves with you forever. and when they go that piece stays with you. the world lost an incredibly loving person on sunday morning. i have never loved anyone quite like i loved her. i think that most anyone who knew her would agree. we had lost touch over the years and i regret more than ever not reaching back out.

i don’t believe in another life but the ache and disbelief i feel today would fool me into believing anything.

my love.

its been years. can you believe how fast time flies? we’re adults. 13 years ago. thats how long its been since we met. remember? at the bus stop. you were wearing those pink pumas. or was it DCs? you looked like such a badass. i was kind of scared of you at first. but i was scared of everything before i met you. but i think you know that. i forget the first day we hung out… didn’t we go to your house. I met your mom and dad that day. i think. i bet they thought i was weird at first. i don’t think we spent more than one day apart after that. you were so loud. always laughing about something. oh man. we would sit and laugh for hours…. about nothing. you were always the popular one. so many goddamn friends. its funny how everyone thought i was your little sister. they actually bought it. i was always with you. everywhere. god i was so goofy and awkward and you still loved me. you were pretty goofy too. remember that one day when we ate 9 boxes of macaroni and cheese that your mom left you while they were out of town? and then we were still hungry afterwards. it was love. i loved you so fucking much. remember all the trouble we got into? you were always so brave. i loved how mischievous you were. i loved spending time with your family. when anna came to town wed get so giddy. what about that time we accidentally flooded the kitchen with bubbles!? and thanksgiving! remember our training routine? no jeans allowed. and the mattress right outside the sliding door so we can plump from the dining chairs onto the mattress? all your idea. i think. brilliant. i loved helping you move to your new home in kentucky. i remember how happy you were. i thought for sure id always be your little sister. i even visited you again… maybe a year after that? i dont remember now. we got our first tattoos together. your lips are still there. so is your heart. im sorry we lost touch. i really am. really. i was so lucky to have known you. to have had you in my life. i would be someone totally different had you never moved 5 houses down from me. i would probably still be afraid of everything. the courage i fill my life with. its there because of you.

i still dont think i grasp that you’re gone. you cant be gone. i sent you a postcard a couple weeks ago. i wonder if you ever got it. I’m sorry i didnt call.

i wish i had more pictures of you. of us. on my computer… theyre all at home in my photo albums. i wish i could flip through them.

goodbye my love.

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